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Chapter

Thirty-Nine

T he events of the past twenty-four hours weigh heavily on my shoulders as I pace across the rug in my room. I rack my brain, trying to think of a plan that would get me out of this mess but coming up empty. With the collar forcing me to obey Baylor’s order, I’m trapped here.

Without warning, the door swings open, and my lady’s maids enter the room.

“Thank the Fates,” I breathe, grateful to see friendly faces. “You have to help me. Baylor has me trapped here.”

A warm smile breaks across Alva’s heart-shaped face. Her blonde hair is pulled back today, showing off her round ears. “The king was the one who sent us here.”

Confusion wrinkles my forehead. “Sent you here?”

“We’re supposed to help you get dressed,” Morwen answers as she opens the armoire and digs through my gowns.

I shake my head, unable to keep up with the conversation. “Dressed for what?”

“For the wedding, of course!” Alva beams, her eyes dipping to my collar momentarily.

Warning bells blare through my mind.

“Just as I thought,” Morwen complains as she slams the wardrobe shut. “There’s nothing here that’ll work, but I think I know where I can find something that will. I’ll be right back.”

She scurries to the door and disappears into the hall.

Swallowing thickly, I turn to Alva and ask the question I fear I already know the answer to. “Whose wedding am I getting ready for?”

“Yours, silly.” She grabs my shoulders, pushing me toward the vanity. “The king announced that you two will be married today.”

My legs give out, and I all but fall into the chair. The mortal maid begins brushing through my hair, combing out the thick waves.

“Please Alva,” I beg her, my eyes filling with tears as I catch her gaze through the mirror. “I can’t marry him. You have to help me get out of here.”

Her head tilts to the side, a confused smile on her face. “Why would I do that?”

My brow furrows. “Because I’m your friend?”

She laughs. “Oh, Ivy, you’re nothing but a rat masquerading as a queen.”

The words hit me with so much force I nearly slide out of the chair.

“Besides,” she continues, “this is exactly where he wants you.”

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. “ He? ”

“The one who whispers.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as she continues styling my hair. No , I beg the Fates. Not Alva too. Not after I already lost Remy.

The door slams behind Morwen as she rushes back in, her arms overflowing with a bundle of white fabric.

“I found it,” she announces, a wide grin on her face.

Alva claps, bouncing up and down excitedly. “Let’s see it!”

Once they’ve unraveled the swath of fabric, I realize it’s a dress that’s eerily similar to the one I wore in my nightmare.

“Where did it come from?” Alva asks.

“I remember Tess down in the kitchens bragging about how she swiped it from the late queen’s closet after she died.”

My hands tremble. “This was Leona’s?”

“And now it’s yours.”

I shake my head, desperate to wake up from this nightmare.

“Morwen,” I keep my voice low as I pull her a few feet away. “You have to help me. I need to escape before the ceremony.”

Her eyes narrow. “But this is where he wants you to be. The one who whispers is coming for you tonight.”

My stomach drops. No. Not Morwen too.

How many does he have? Who all has been warped by the sword? Thorne’s face flashes through my mind, and a sharp bolt of fear pierces my heart. Where is he? What if he’s not safe? What if the Forsaken find him and force him to touch the almanova?

Stop .

Thorne is a God. He can take care of himself. But right now, I need to focus on saving myself.

“Exactly,” Alva pipes in. “How would he find you if you weren’t where you’re supposed to be? You’re being so silly today, Ivy.”

I try to smile. “Must be the nerves.”

“Cold feet,” she agrees. “My sister had those.”

My heart constricts. She’s exactly like herself right now.

“What does the one who whispers want from me?”

“That collar doesn’t belong to you,” Morwen answers. “It’s time for you to give it back.”

Usually, I would be all for that plan, but somehow I don’t think he intends to simply remove it. I have a sinking suspicion he plans to take my head along with the collar.

“Come.” Alva pulls me back to the vanity. “Let’s get you dressed. You have to look beautiful for your wedding.”

With nothing else to do, I let them carry on with their task, even though I have no intention of getting married. No matter what, neither Baylor nor the almanova are taking me tonight.

Footsteps approach from the hallway, alerting me that the time for my escape has come. My back is already pressed into the wall as I wait next to the door. I’ve spent the morning mentally going through my options, searching for any loophole in Baylor’s commands.

You will remain there until I come get you.

Which means that as soon as he steps into this room, the command should lift, and I’ll be able to escape. Unless he gets his hands on my collar again and gives me a new order... But without being able to see me, that’s not going to be easy for him. When we were in his study, he commanded me to drop the illusion. However, he didn’t specify that I wasn’t allowed to create another one. Which is exactly what I’ve done.

My eyes are glued to the brass handle as it turns, and the door swings open, revealing Baylor on the other side. He stays where he is, not entering the room.

“Hello, pet. Have you had time to think over your options?”

His words are directed at Rose, who’s currently sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to the door. In this moment, I’ve never been more sure of my decision to keep my eidolon a secret. A shudder passes over me as I remember all of the times I almost told Remy. My heart aches at the thought of my mentor, but I push the emotion aside. Sadness has no place here. Only determination.

“I have,” she says softly, an exact replica of my own voice.

A few red strands have escaped her elaborate updo, dropping down the back of her gown like blood stains over snow. Worry blooms in my stomach as I pray the imagery doesn’t foreshadow what’s to come.

As soon as Alva and Morwen left, I created Rose to be the perfect blushing bride they’d polished me into. With their hard work preserved onto my likeness, I slipped out of the tent of white lace and tulle, choosing a pair of dark pants and a fitted black tunic. Removing the pins from my hair took at least ten minutes, but it’s now hanging down my back in a practical braid. Before the king arrived, I strapped every blade in my collection to my body, knowing I might need them all before the day is through. Though I did spare one for Rose, tucking it into her garter for safekeeping.

“Well,” Baylor replies, “what have you decided?”

Rising from the bed, she turns to face him with her eyes cast down in a submissive gesture.

“I will marry you willingly,” she says. “And things will return to how they have always been.”

The corner of his mouth lifts. “I’m glad to hear that, pet.”

My pulse hastens as Baylor lifts his foot and steps over the threshold. I hold back a sigh of relief as I feel his command release me.

Baylor steps deeper into the room, and I shoot forward, ready to be free of this place. My path is blocked when Doral and Huxley enter behind him. I push myself flat against the wall again, my heart racing at the near collision. Bumping into them would have given away my true position and ruined the entire plan.

Their large frames linger in my path. Doral is stern, but Huxley shifts uncomfortably as he watches Rose for any signs that she might attack. He doesn’t appear happy about the prospect of subduing her. Is it because he’s afraid of me? Or is it possible the idea of having to harm me doesn’t sit right with him?

I save those thoughts for later. There’s no room for any of that now. All my focus needs to be reserved for my escape. With my back wedged against the wall, I carefully slide toward the doorway. From the corner of my eye, I see Baylor approaching my eidolon .

“You’ve made the right choice, pet.” He grabs her shoulders and pulls her into an embrace. “You won’t regret this.”

“I know,” she whispers.

Finally, he steps back and loops her arm in his. “Come. The guests are already arriving at the temple.”

As Baylor leads her to the door, Doral and Huxley finally step aside, allowing them to pass through. As soon as they’ve crossed over the threshold, I make my move. Darting between the couple and the guards, I finally slip into the hall.

Relief floods through me as Baylor leads Rose away, both guards trailing behind them. Not wasting any time, I hurry toward the servants’ stairwell at the end of the hall. My time is limited. I have no idea how long I will be able to hold my illusion. I’ve never sent Rose further than Baylor’s room before.

As the distance between us expands, I sense my connection to her growing thin. The moment she disappears, Baylor will discover that I’ve escaped. Then it will only be a matter of time before he begins tracking me through the collar.

And likely choking me as well.

I push that worry aside. Dwelling on my fear will only slow me down. Besides, there’s nothing I can do to stop the inevitable pain he will inflict. However, if I hurry there may be something I can do to prevent him from tracking me.

If the Fates are on my side, Darrow will still be at MASQ. For an enchanter , creating a ward to hide my location should be simple. Even if the king sends guards to search the premises, I can hide in the crawl space under Della’s office. I discovered the secret room years ago when I used to accompany Leona on her visits to MASQ. Back then, the idea of stepping foot down there was terrifying, reminding me too much of the memories I tried to bury. But now it may be my saving grace.

When I come to the bottom of the stairs, I dash into the kitchen. Thankfully, the noise and bustle from the servants chopping vegetables and boiling water is enough to mask my rushed steps. The back exit is within sight, but halfway there a large man enters my path, nearly whacking me in the head with a tray of golden-brown pastries. Spinning around to avoid him, my elbow accidentally tips over a bag from one of the nearby shelves. A dozen potatoes spill out, falling to the ground and rolling across the floor.

“Ugh, look at the mess you made, Jon,” an elderly mortal woman complains. “I’ve told you before to be more careful.”

“I didn’t even touch it!” the man insists as I navigate the minefield of fallen vegetables, careful not to trip.

Finally, I make it to the door and sprint outside. The temple is on the northern side of the palace, I head for the southern gate that will bring me closer to MASQ. Baylor’s voice echoes distantly in the back of my mind, filtering through my connection to Rose.

“You’re quiet, pet,” he whispers as they stand outside the golden doors. “Not regretting your choice, are you?”

The silence stretches a beat too long before she responds. “Just nervous.”

Her voice is almost monotone, lacking any emotion or conviction.

The faster I race through the gardens, the more frayed our connection becomes. A pounding ache begins in my temples, warning me I need to cut her loose soon.

“I’ll be at the end of the aisle,” he tells her, his eyes cold. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

A tingle along the back of my neck has my eyes lifting to the sky. In the distance, black wings flap overhead as Thorne rushes toward me. Tears well in my eyes at the sight of him and my chest swells with gratitude. He came. He found me .

Blood drips from my nose, and I know I can’t hold on to the connection much longer. Any moment now, Rose is going to disappear before their eyes. Hopefully, they mistake her vanishing for simply becoming invisible. I’d rather they curse me for being a wraith than suspect I might have fooled them with an eidolon .

I grit my teeth as I’m forced to give up my invisibility, no longer having the strength to hold both illusions. My skin stretches thin and I stumble to the ground. Thorne is close enough now that I can see the concern on his face. But even with him flying us to MASQ, there won’t be enough time before Baylor begins tracking me.

Rose finally makes it to the altar, coming to stand beside the king, and a reckless plan forms in my mind. At that same moment, Thornes arms sweep me off the ground, and we leap into the air. I’m vaguely aware of guards shouting, but in my mind, the priest is asking Rose to repeat after him. The connection ripples, seconds away from giving out. Mustering the last of my strength, I know what I have to do.

Rose’s hand wraps around the cool metal blade at her thigh as she pulls it free. Baylor doesn’t even have time to flinch before she drives it into his eye. Shock erupts through the temple as the king stumbles back and drops to his knees.

His scream is the last thing I hear as the connection fades and Rose disappears.

“Talk to me, Angel,” Thorne’s voice is desperate. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Get me to Della,” I beg him, too weak to lift my head from his shoulder.

His arms tighten around me, and my eyes drift shut as we soar through the skies.